Alexander Petrovich
1691–1692
- Born
- 13 Oct 1691, Preobrazhenskoye
- Country of birth
- Russia
- Died
- 24 May 1692
- facts
- 7
- sources
- 1
- images and files
- 0
Facts and their sources
Tap a fact to see where it comes from.
- Birth13 Oct 1691, PreobrazhenskoyeProbable1 source
- Death24 May 1692Probable1 source
- ParentPeter the GreatConfirmed1 source
- ParentEudoxia LopukhinaConfirmed1 source
A life in time
Born · Preobrazhenskoye
Birth, Preobrazhenskoye
Died
Death
What was it like?
The world around Preobrazhenskoye, 1691: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.
Following reforms, men adopted caftans, knee-length breeches, and stockings, while women transitioned from concealing sarafans to dresses with low necklines and short sleeves.
European dress reforms
Following reforms, men adopted caftans, knee-length breeches, and stockings, while women transitioned from concealing sarafans to dresses with low necklines and short sleeves.
Fines for traditional Russian clothing
People wearing traditional Russian clothing in public faced a fine of 13 altyn and 2 denga for pedestrians and 2 rubles for those on horseback.
Instruments and singing in royal life
Military and celebratory music frequently featured brass and percussion, such as trumpets, drums, and oboes, which were played during formal processions and ceremonial toasts. Peter the Great himself was known to play the drum and would occasionally sing with church choristers during services.
New ballroom dances at assemblies
At social gatherings like the Petrine assemblies, dancing became a structured activity where participants performed dances such as the polonaise, minuet, and various English-style dances. These assemblies were a significant shift for the nobility, requiring both men and women to participate in public dancing.
Slow travel speeds in 18th-century Russia
In the 18th century, travelers moved at a slow average speed of only seven versts per hour in summer and five in winter. Consequently, a journey from Moscow to Kiev took about two weeks, while Moscow to Smolensk required three days.
The postal relay and private travel systems
Travelers often used the postal relay system, which required an official document called a podorozhnaya to secure fresh horses at relay stations. Private travel using one's own horses was also common but required frequent stops to rest the animals.
Founding of Secular Schools
By a 1714 decree, secular numeric schools were established to provide free education for children, though some students had to be forcefully recruited or were punished with rods for attempting to flee.
Traditional Izba Dwellings
Ordinary Russian homes, known as izbas, were log cabins with shuttered windows often covered with bull's bladder instead of glass, and they relied on splinter torches for lighting.
Summer beer storage method
To keep beer fresh during the hot summer, people built ice cellars without roofs, layering barrels with snow and ice, then covering them with straw and boards.
Traditional hangover cure dish
To cure a hangover or feeling unwell, people ate a dish called pokhmelye, made from cold roast mutton, cucumbers, vinegar, and cucumber brine served as a spoon-eaten salad.
Annual wages for Moscow factory workers
In the first quarter of the 18th century, a skilled weaver at a Moscow textile factory earned up to 24 rubles per year, while unskilled workers earned between 6 and 12 rubles per year.
Cost of footwear
In the late 17th century, a pair of fine morocco leather boots cost 1 ruble, while simpler leather shoes were significantly cheaper.
Common jobs and modest wages
Common occupations included carpenters, blacksmiths, stonemasons, and weavers. A typical monthly salary for builders or blacksmiths in St. Petersburg was 1 ruble, while skilled workers like cabinetmakers might earn 2 rubles per month.
Family
Ancestors and children
Open the full treeFour generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.